


Second Best

by sparkinside (boomersoonerash)



Series: Drabble Meme [37]
Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Bittersweet, Canon Compliant, F/M, Infidelity, Love Confessions, The Walk Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-03 22:24:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10976580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/sparkinside
Summary: "I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified."





	Second Best

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not really in love this but I wanted to try to write a little of something. This is set in 2008 after Shepherd's birth but Natalie isn't pregnant with Viggo in this.

Natalie couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle as she sat next to Zac in a restaurant far away from Tulsa. Far enough away that no one would know them or know that he was her brother-in-law. The boy who was her husband's brother and her best friend's husband of two years.

A boy who somehow was a man and father to a baby and someone Natalie shouldn't be sneaking around with. Shouldn't be in some dimly lit nice restaurant drinking wine with.

But here she was because in some ways Zac had always been hers, hadn't he? From their first meeting in 2000 to now he had always been hers. Shown more interest in her than he had ever shown Kate and she had always taken him for granted.

Even on nights when she ran to him after Taylor would hurt her with Alex or Michelle and he'd comfort her in the only way he knew how.

By having sex with her. Making her forget for a few short hours that she had a boyfriend who was an asshole...now a husband who was an asshole.

Natalie wasn't a fool either. She knew she didn't deserve Zac, not really. Not when she had been a blind teenager who wanted his brother, not when even now that she wasn't blind but stuck by circumstances...circumstances that were really three children.

No Zac deserved the woman he had left at home with their two month old son. A woman who was as blind as Natalie had been all those years ago except Kate was too blinded by her love of Zac to notice that in ways he was just like Taylor.

Kate had no clue that Zac was cheating on her, had been cheating on her this whole time and would probably continue because regardless of what Natalie didn't deserve Zac was in love with her.

Had probably only settled for Kate because he couldn't have Natalie and of course he didn't want to be alone. No one wanted to be alone.

"You okay Nat?" Zac's voice sounded bringing Natalie out of her thoughts as she turned to look at him. Seeing the confused expression on his face.

Such an adorable look but of course he had it. After all she had just been giggling moments before at some joke he had made and then she had went all silent and broody. Probably leaving him to wonder if he had done something wrong.

"I think I'm in love with you," Natalie started before she could even stop herself and as she spoke she had to look away from him. "And I'm terrified."

After that admittance Natalie finally faced the courage to look at Zac again. Seeing his confusion was now gone but now his face was an unreadable mix of emotions she hadn't seen on him before.

"You shouldn't be in love with me," Zac told her plainly as his unreadable emotions stayed on his face. "You're married to Taylor and I'm..."

"You're married to Kate, I know that Zachary," Natalie hissed out finally as she felt her cheeks getting hot. Feeling the urge to look away from him again but she didn't. "But you love me too. Of that I'm sure and you know as well that you shouldn't love me but you do."

After telling him that a silence fell over their table. Both of them sitting in the uncomfortable truth of what they both knew.

That no matter how wrong it was they loved each other. Had fallen in love long before they had even realized or admitted it.

Zac finally let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, "So what do we do now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow finally giving her an emotion she could read.

That adorable little confused one again.

"That's the ten million dollar question isn't it?" Natalie asked with a bitter laugh before shaking her head. "I don't know what we do now," she admitted with a bittersweet smile. "But I'm sure in the end we will figure something out. We always do," she told him.

A part of her feeling confident that soon enough they'd figure things out. Even if the things they figured out didn't fit in with what they wanted.

Because despite their own selfish wants they had others to think of. He had Kate and Shepherd while she had Ezra, Penny, and River. Knowing that Taylor wouldn't be affected by whatever she chose because it was no secret he still didn't care or lover her like he should.

He only really cared about and loved himself. Something Natalie didn't want to do so if it came down to it she'd give Zac up despite her own selfish want of keeping him as her own.

Because Kate didn't deserve to be hurt and if somehow in the end he chose Kate's happiness over hers then she'd accept it. Knowing he'd also be sacrificing his own because he didn't love Kate either. 

Which again would be how he was just like his brother and Natalie hated that she had made him that way. Wished she had realized her own love for him sooner before she had gotten pregnant and had to marry Taylor.

Before he had really decided to settle for second best and marry Kate.


End file.
